Printer-Friendly Format     E-mail this article     Notre Dame looks to ride its success from the BIG EAST Championships into the NCAA Regional meet.

 
NCAA Mideast Regional Championships Start Friday For Irish Track & Field

Notre Dame sends 19 athletes to regional outdoor meet.

May 29, 2008

NOTRE DAME, Ind. - The University of Notre Dame track and field program will send 19 athletes - eight women and 11 men - to the 2008 NCAA Mideast Regional Championships hosted by Arkansas at John McDonnell Field from May 30-31.

Field events will begin at 11 a.m. (ET) on Friday with running events starting at 3 p.m. On Saturday, field events will begin at 11 a.m. with running events following at 5 p.m. Gates will open one hour prior to the first event. Live stats will be available on UND.com.

Patrick Smyth enters the meet with the region's second-fastest time in the 5,000m (13:45.72), which is also the 10th-best mark recorded in the nation this season. Jake Watson is 27th nationally in the 1,500m (3:43.39) while Adam Currie's 1:46.87 in the 800m ranks 28th.

The Irish are tied for sixth with four men running mid-distance events across each of the regional sites this weekend, the highest total of any BIG EAST Conference squad.

For the fourth time in the past six years, and the fifth time overall, Notre Dame won the BIG EAST Men's Outdoor Track & Field Championships, taking the 2008 title by a convincing 122.5-105 margin over Connecticut. The Irish men also continued their impressive run as one of the BIG EAST's dominant programs, winning either the indoor or outdoor conference track & field title (or both) for the sixth consecutive year (indoors - 2003, 2005, 2007; outdoors - 2000, 2003, 2004, 2006, 2008). The women's team finished third at the league championship with 86 points.

A top five finish in any individual event at the regional meet and a top three finish in a relay automatically qualifies an athlete for the NCAA Championships in Des Moines, Iowa, next month. To be considered for an at-large bid, an individual athlete must finish sixth through 12th and relays must finish fourth through eighth.

While Arkansas hosts the Mideast Championships, Florida State is hosting the East Championships, Nebraska the Midwest Championships and Cal State Northridge the West Championships.

For complete details of the NCAA Mideast Regional Championships, visit www.hogwired.com. Tickets can be purchased by calling the Arkansas Ticket Office at 1.800.982.4647 or by visiting www.hogwired.com

Event - National Rank - Athlete - Season Best

800m - 24 - Adam Currie - 1:48.87
1500m - 20 - Kurt Benninger - 3:42.49
1500m - 27 - Jake Watson - 3:43.39
1500m - 56 - Daniel Clark - 3:46.07
5000m - 10 - Patrick Smyth - 13:45.72
High Jump - 38 - Blair Macjina - 2.10m
Pole Vault - 53 - Matt Schipper - 5.05m
Triple Jump - 96 - Eric Quick - 15.02m
Shot Put - 69 - Mike Schubert - 17.15m
Shot Put - 74 - Denes Veres - 17.05m
Discus - 58 - Brandon Drenon - 53.70m
400m - 42 - Joanna Schultz - 53.83
800m - 40 - Natalie Johnson - 2:08.09
800m - 55 - Kelly Langhans - 2:08.65
100m Hurldes - 69 - Alyissa Hasan - 13.71
Steeplechase - 37 - Lindsey Ferguson - 10:29.63
Pole Vault - 37 - Mary Saxer - 4.00m
Discus - 37 - Jaclyn Espinoza - 51.25m
Hammer Throw - 41 - Anna Weber - 58.16m

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